Owners of Mexican-plated vehicles have less time to pay their annual registration renewal fee (refrendo) in 2014 before they may be slapped with late charges and fines.

Discounts are available if the tax is paid during the first three months of the year.

The refrendo fee in January is 387 pesos – a 15-percent discount. If paid in February the cost is 410 pesos – a 10-percent discount. The fee in March is 432 pesos – a 5-percent discount.

The full fee of 455 pesos will be applied from April 1. Unlike in previous years, when car owners had until August to pay the full fee without additional fees, late charges and fines may kick almost immediately.

According to Laura Murillo, press chief at the Jalisco Secretaria de Finanzas, those who haven’t paid their car tax will, at some stage, be sent a requerimiento (demand for payment) to their home address. If this debt is settled within 30 days, no extra charges will be levied. If not, fines will be applied up to a maximum of 50 days’ minimum salary (approximately 3,365 pesos).

There are several options for payment, including via the Internet at https://gobiernoenlinea1.jalisco.gob.mx/tenencia/Vehiculo. Just type in your license plate number and vehicle serial number and see how much you owe, including unpaid traffic fines. One may either pay immediately online with a credit or debit card, or print out a receipt that can be taken to a bank or convenience store (OXXO, etc.) for payment.

Murillo said Banamex is the only bank where you do not have to go online and print out a receipt. Just tell the cashier your license plate and serial numbers and you can pay immediately, she said. (Disclaimer: at press time this newspaper had not confirmed that this is indeed possible.)

The most commonly used method for payment is to go to one of the many State Tax Collection offices (recaudadoras) in the state. All you need is your license plate number. (For Chapala, see story page 13.) Lines, however, especially in the first month of the year, can be long.